Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

A child or young person (CYP) has Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them, for example, differentiation in the curriculum, or adult support for specific tasks.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she,

• has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions
  (Source: Legislation.gov.uk).

For children aged two or over, ‘special educational provision’ is; educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age (Source: Legislation.gov.uk).

CYP with Special Educational Needs (SEN) who classify as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 (i.e. ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’), are covered by the definition of SEN.

Special Educational Needs can result from:

• A long-term condition or life-limiting condition, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy
• A congenital condition, such as cerebral palsy
• A learning disability
• Autistic spectrum disorder, including both autism and Asperger syndrome
• Serious illness or injury, such as acquired brain injury
• A sensory impairment
• Behavioural issues

(Source: NHS England, 2018)

Children with SEND are more likely to experience deprivation, be absent or excluded from school, achieve below their peers, or be out of education. They are less likely to experience a fulfilling education and leave school with outcomes that signal increased chances of deprivation as adults (Source: Joseph Rowntree Foundation). There is also a greater risk of experiencing loneliness if opportunities are limited because of disability. Loneliness can be distressing and is interrelated with feelings of low self-esteem (Source: Sutton Trust, 2025).

Children with SEND and Disadvantage
Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are disproportionately affected by socio-economic disadvantage. They are more likely to experience poverty, attend schools in deprived areas, and face barriers to accessing high-quality education. Pupils with SEND are twice as likely to be eligible for free school meals compared to their peers without SEND (41.1% for those with Education, Health and Care Plans and 37.5% for those on SEN Support, compared to 23.8% overall). The Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlights that poverty during childhood significantly impacts life chances, and children with SEND are among those most vulnerable to these effects. (Source Whole School SEND and  Joseph Rowntree Fund (JRF))

Educational Outcomes and Attendance
The attainment gap between pupils with SEND and their peers remains substantial. By the end of secondary school, pupils with SEN Support are almost two years behind their peers, while those with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are over three years behind (approximately 40 months). Persistent absence is a growing concern: in 2023–24, 6.8% of pupils with an EHCP were severely absent (missing 50% or more of lessons), up from 5.9% the previous year. Absence rates for pupils on SEN Support also rose, and overall absences for pupils with EHCPs reached 12.6%. Exclusion rates are similarly disproportionate, with recent data showing a rise in suspensions and permanent exclusions among SEND learners, often linked to unmet needs and lack of inclusive practice. (Sources: Education Policy Institute,  Schools Week and Whole School SEND)

Risk of Loneliness and Mental Health Challenges
Children and young people with disabilities face a heightened risk of loneliness, which is strongly associated with poor mental health outcomes. Government reports and research confirm that disabled children and young people are among the groups most affected by social isolation, particularly when opportunities for participation are limited. A 2023 study found that loneliness is significantly more prevalent and persistent among people with disabilities, with 46% experiencing chronic loneliness compared to 22% of non-disabled peers. Loneliness is interlinked with low self-esteem and can exacerbate mental health difficulties, creating a cycle of disadvantage. (Source: Dept. for Culture, Media & Sport, Emerson, E. et al. and  NHS England)

The Children and Families Act 2014 provides the legal framework for the SEND system, ensuring that children with SEND receive the support they need across education, health and care. The Act is underpinned by the SEND Regulations 2014, which set out the procedures and requirements, and the SEND Code Of Practice, which provides statutory guidance on how to meet the legal requirements.

• The joint Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection framework evaluates the effectiveness of local areas in identifying, meeting the needs of, and improving outcomes, for CYP with SEND.
• The Education Act 1996 sets out the duties of the Secretary of State and local authorities to provide suitable education that meets the needs of CYP.
• The Equality Act 2010 sets out legal obligations that schools, early years providers, post-16 institutions, and local authorities have for disabled CYP. Obligations include avoiding discrimination; provision of reasonable adjustments; provision of aids and services; and avoiding disadvantage.
• Section 2 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 sets out local authority duties for assessing need, and providing support services (adaptations, facilitating breaks, etc).
• The Children Act 1989 sets out statutory duties that safeguard and promote the welfare of CYP. For CYP under 18, the Act covers residential short breaks, and services provided to children arising from SEN – but unrelated to a disability. This includes all provision secured through a social care direct payment.
• Care Act 2014 requires children’s services co-operate with adults’ services such that young adults are not left without care or support as the transition from children’s to adult social care is made. The Act also details duties to ensure care and support for adults.
• Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014 stipulate that local authorities must provide information on Personal Budgets.
• Working together to safeguard children – GOV.UK outlines the expectations that organisations and individuals must fulfil to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
• Lincolnshire’s Inclusion Strategy aims to ensure the majority of children with SEN can fulfil their potential in mainstream settings, where practitioners are clear how to meet their needs, and the right support is available to do so, at an early stage. 

When compared to the national average, Lincolnshire has:

• A higher percentage of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). This percentage is rising both locally and nationally. The number of EHCPs has grown from 8,415 in September 2024 to 9,041 in September 2025.
• A similar percentage of pupils receiving SEN Support.
• Current data shows that demand for specialist provision is currently outstripping availability of places despite significant capital and workforce development over the last 4 – 5 years. We continue to develop enhanced dynamic SEND dashboards to track and forecast demand across the county so investment can be targeted where demands are being seen and forecast. 1,938 EHC needs requests were received in 2024. (Source: SEND Pressure Index | Public Alchemy)
• A higher rate of permanent exclusions and of suspensions issued by our schools than nationally. In 2023/24 Lincolnshire’s rate of permanent exclusions was 19 exclusions (compared to national rate of 13) and the rate of suspensions was 1610 pupils (compared to national rate of 1131). (Source: SEND Pressure Index | Public Alchemy)

Primary Need

Primary Needs and Setting Type
Local data suggests that the landscape of special educational needs in Lincolnshire is changing, with the most common primary needs in new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) being as follows:

• Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN): 34.7% of new plans have SLCN as a primary need, but only 17.9% of open plans. This sharp rise suggests more children are being identified early with communication needs, reflecting both increased awareness and possibly changing needs in our communities.
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH): 29.1% of new plans have SEMH as a primary need, compared to 21.1% of open plans. This increase highlights the growing importance of mental health and emotional wellbeing in our schools.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): 21.9% of new plans have ASD as a primary need, but 32.8% of open plans, which is a sharp decline. While ASD remains the most common need overall, its proportion is higher in the existing EHCP cohort, suggesting a shift in the profile of needs being identified now.
• Other needs such as Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD), Physical Disability (PD), and Hearing Impairment (HI) remain relatively stable and low in proportion.

Compared to the East Midlands and England, Lincolnshire has a notably higher proportion of SLCN and SEMH in new plans, while ASD is more prominent in the open plan cohort.

Educational Provision

The number of requests for EHC needs assessments across Lincolnshire remains high with 1,938 requests for assessment received in 2024. This has a seen a year-on-year increase in the number of EHC plans held within Lincolnshire.

Most children and young people with new EHCPs in Lincolnshire are supported in:

• Mainstream schools: 75% of new plans, closely matching the East Midlands (76%) and England (74%). This shows a strong commitment to inclusion and supporting children in their local schools.
• Special schools (maintained & academy): 8% of new plans, slightly higher than the regional (6%) and national (7%) averages.
• Independent/non-maintained special schools (INMS): 3% of new plans, similar to national figures.
• Other settings, such as Early Years, Elective Home Education (EHE), and Alternative Provision (AP/PRU), each account for 1–4% of new plans, with little variation across regions.
• As of October 2025 30%, of those CYPs with an EHC plan remain in specialist settings.

SEND prevalence

• SEND is more prevalent in boys than girls. 2024/25 data suggests that males account for 71% of all EHC Plans within Lincolnshire. This is seen for pupils receiving SEN support, and for pupils with an EHC plan.
• The distribution of EHC plans by age in Lincolnshire is broadly similar to the national average. The largest increase in open EHCPs between 2023/24 and 2024/25 has been seen in the early years and Key Stage 1. Whilst other age groups have increased between these comparative years, the next biggest increase is seen in Key Stage 3. In particular, the age at which an EHC plan is started between these comparative years shows a sharp increase at the age of 3, with a 60% increase in this age category. This growth continues throughout the early years. We continue to see a rise in EHC plans between Year 6 and Year 7. 

Early Years

In Lincolnshire there are a total of 560 Early Years registered providers who deliver the early years education entitlement; 279 are Child-minders and 283 group providers and as of August 2024, 98% of EY settings are judged ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. (Source: Ofsted)

Lincolnshire completes an annual Childcare Sufficiency Assessment. The current data demonstrates that there is sufficient childcare overall and sufficiency to meet the 30 hours EYE offer. In 2025 we have had significant growth across the county compared to childcare place availability in 2024. We have developed a large number of additional places for babies 0-2 years, 2-year-olds and 3 & 4-year-olds during the last year.

As of Spring 2025, 83.8% of 2-year-olds were accessing funded early years entitlement and 89.9% of 3- and 4-year-olds were accessing funded early years entitlement.

In 2024-25, under DAF (Disability Access Funding) there were 156 children (aged 2 to 4 years) who received funding to their early setting which supported the setting to purchase necessary equipment, resources or staffing to support children to attend.

Lincolnshire is one of 75 Local Authorities (LAs) offering the Start for Life programme Parents as First Teachers course, which has a stronger focus on Universal access and supporting children with SEN, with aims to reduce inequalities.

Disability

In Lincolnshire, the percentage of CYP with a long-term illness, disability or medical condition, is significantly higher than the national average (Source: OHID). In October 2025, 240 CYP receiving support were receiving that from the Children with Disabilities Social Care team and were 101 accessing overnight care. All these CYP have severe or profound disabilities. 104 children with disabilities access overnight Short Breaks (Source: LCC MOSAIC case management system).

A key Local Authority’s responsibility, for the upper age group of SEND, is an effective and supported transition to adulthood. Indicators of successful transition include percentage of adults with learning disabilities (receiving support from social care) who live in their own home or with their family; and percentage in employment. These figures are slightly lower in Lincolnshire compared to the national average (Source: Local Area SEND Report, 2022).

Key inequalities

The Annual Report 2025 – Education Policy Institute identifies inequalities experienced by those with SEND.

A report into Special Educational Needs and their links to poverty concludes children from low-income families are more likely than their peers to be born with inherited SEND; are more likely to develop SEND in childhood; and are less likely to move out of SEND categories while at school. In addition, children with SEND are more likely than their peers to be born into poverty, and more likely to experience poverty growing up.  

1. Cost of Raising a Disabled Child

• Scope – Disability Price Tag 2023: Disabled households need an extra £975 per month to achieve the same standard of living as non-disabled households. These costs include specialist equipment, higher energy bills, and additional transport costs. (Source: Scope)
• Family Fund – Cost of Caring Report (2022): Families raising disabled children face three times higher costs than those raising non-disabled children. Many are cutting back on essentials like food and heating due to the cost-of-living crisis. (Source: Family Fund)

2. Employment and Caring Responsibilities

• Resolution Foundation (2023): Disabled parents, especially mothers, are disproportionately affected by unemployment and underemployment due to caring responsibilities. Employment rates for disabled people remain around 53% compared to 82% for non-disabled people, and economic inactivity is high. (Source: Scope)
• Carers UK & Family Fund: Caring for a disabled child significantly reduces earning potential, with many parents unable to work full-time or at all. (Source: Nicoriciu, A.M. & Elliot, M.)

3. Poverty Among Families with Disabled Children

• DWP Poverty Measurement (2024): Nearly half of families with a disabled child and adult were living in poverty by 2021–22, and 38% of families with disabled children (but no disabled adult) were in poverty—a sharp rise from previous years. (Source: Disability News Service)
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation – UK Poverty 2023: Disabled people face a higher risk of poverty due to extra costs and barriers to work. This has persisted for over 20 years. (Source: Joseph Rowntree Foundation)

4. Going Without Essentials

• Family Fund (2022): Many families raising disabled children report going without food, heating, and specialist equipment because of financial strain. (Source: Family Fund)
• Disability Rights UK & JRF (2024): 86% of low-income families on Universal Credit—including many with disabled children—went without essentials like food and heating in the last year. (Source: Disability Rights UK)

Lincolnshire is in its eighth year of implementing SEND reforms and has strongly embedded the key principles.

1. Equal Access to Information and Support

• VSEND and Inclusion Toolkit: By providing clear, digital guidance and practice standards, all schools and professionals have the same reference point, this is a tool that is available for all schools to use. This reduces variability in provision between settings and ensures families understand what help is available.
• Ask SALL advice line: Ensures Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) and schools in rural or resource-limited areas can access expert advice quickly, reducing disparities caused by geography or staffing. SEND Advice Line for Lincolnshire (Ask SALL) – Lincolnshire County Council
• Lincolnshire’s Local Offer: a requirement within the SEND Code of Practice 2015. A public facing information service provided by Lincolnshire County Council on behalf of the Local Area Partnership, offering clear, comprehensive, and accessible information about existing services, provision and information for children with SEND in the local area, their families and professionals working with them SEND Local Offer – Lincolnshire County Council.

2.  Strengthening Mainstream Inclusion

• Confidence in schools: Training and resources help mainstream schools support CYP with SEND effectively, reducing reliance on specialist settings and avoiding exclusions.
• Family engagement: Supporting families to feel confident at home helps prevent gaps in learning and wellbeing, especially for disadvantaged households.

3.  Integrated Health and Education Services

• Community Health Services (Therapy, Paediatrics, CCN): These services ensure CYP across Lincolnshire—urban and rural—receive timely interventions for physical, developmental, and complex health needs, reducing inequalities linked to location or socioeconomic status.
• CAMHS and SEST: Targeted mental health and sensory support addresses needs that often correlate with higher exclusion risk and poorer outcomes if unmet.

4.  Reducing Waiting Times and Improving Pathways

• Dynamic Support Register: Proactively identifies CYP at risk of crisis, preventing hospital admissions and ensuring continuity of care.

5.  High Aspirations

• Focus on independence and academic success ensures CYP with SEND are not left behind in employment or adulthood opportunities, tackling long-term inequalities.

The SEND partnership’s ambition is that:

• CYP, parents, carers, and professionals understand the help available to them in Lincolnshire. That they have the right support, at the right time, in the right setting.
• Mainstream schools feel more confident supporting CYP with SEND. Schools will continue to work with families, so families feel confident in supporting their CYP at home too.
• School exclusions are avoided by ensuring good communication with all services that can help CYP.
• High aspirations are maintained for CYP with SEND: there is support for CYP to achieve their goals and thrive academically; CYP become independent adults post-education.

Lincolnshire Community Health Service provide specialist services, including:

• Children’s Therapy Service, for 0-19 years, delivered by an integrated team of occupational, physiotherapists, and speech and language therapists.

When there are concerns about a child’s development, behaviour, or educational needs, the Community Paediatric Service provide a secondary service for CYP upon referral. Referrals can be made by primary care settings, hospital and community health professionals, schools, and the local education authority. The service accepts referrals up to aged 16 years (or 19 if the child has moved into the area and/ or are placed in a special school).

Children’s Community Nursing (CCN) teams provide specialist support, education and direct nursing care for CYP with acute health care needs, long term conditions, and those requiring complex or palliative care within their own home. Care focuses on preventing hospital admission whenever appropriate and facilitating early discharge from hospital.

Lincolnshire Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) support CYP experiencing mental health related issues, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or self-harm. There is additional support for specific groups of CYP with additional needs, such as a learning disability and a mental health problem.

Lincolnshire’s Sensory Education and Support Team (SEST) support CYP with sensory impairment in their education setting and/or at home. These CYP may have specialist communication needs (e.g. British Sign Language, Braille and Audio), English as an Additional Language (EAL) or have a disability in addition to their sensory impairment. Social Care teams, SEST, and the NHS work collaboratively to support these CYP.

Pupil Reintegration Team (PRT) support schools and children and young people that are experiencing challenging behaviour, and also support around emotional based school avoidance (EBSA). They promote the inclusion of vulnerable children and young people and help to reduce isolation and exclusion from school.

The Children’s Integrated Commissioning Team (CICT) has developed a collaborative way of working that addresses under performance along the ASD/ADHD pathway. The team has implemented a Hub triage model, and a new clinical pathway replaces the ASD/ADHD Interim Pathway. The result has been a significant reduction in waiting times for CYP pending an autism assessment. The CICT has developed a robust and effective health offer for SEND pupils in a locality-based, all-needs school system. The agreed model will ensure equity of access to health and therapeutic interventions, to all special school pupils, as the strategy is implemented, and schools move toward all-needs.

The Dynamic Support Register is a collaboration between the Integrated Care Board and the Local Authority that identifies and supports CYP with autism and/or a learning difficulty and can reduce the likelihood of hospital admission. The Local Authority, with key stakeholders, has undertaken extensive Transformation Work, introduced the High Needs Strategy, and numerous tools to meet the needs of CYP with SEND.

The local authority has a strong record of co-production with parents and CYP in terms of individual EHC Plans, and in capturing ‘the voice of the child’. Family feedback is captured from individual EHC Plans, and via the Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF).

Every two years, the LPCF undertake a survey on ‘the state of SEND’ in Lincolnshire. Parents/carers have highlighted that:

• Academy status has continued to expand especially in Primaries although the rate of change to Academies has slowed. There has been some consolidation of Primaries into MAT clusters or federations. Most Primaries still remain under LA control as per 2023.
• All state funded Special and all but two state funded Secondary schools are now Academies.
• LPCF are now better involved with Health to represent parent’s views as part of an ambitious plan to join services in a more inclusive manner.
• LPCF rate their involvement with LCC & Health as “Co-production” (highest level of participation), where much more work is being done to have parent carer views represented. Recently OFSTED were challenged by the LA in preparations of an inspection as to why they were not involving LPCF.

Lincolnshire Young Voices (LYV) represent the views of CYP with SEND.  LYV have supported such developments as:

• Improving accessibility of toilets in Lincolnshire.
• Improving accessibility of local transport providers.
• Helping organisations know how SEND friendly they are.
• Helping make Lincolnshire’s Local Offer the best it can be.
• Helping the people of Lincolnshire know what LYV do and how they can get involved.
• Launching ‘A Rough Guide to Not Putting Your Foot in It’: online training for the CYP SEND workforce. Now a nationally recognised guide, LYV won an award for this inspirational training.
• Improving the voice of the CYP within their EHC plan.

Lincolnshire Schools and Colleges are actively involved in shaping future support for CYP with SEND. Regular meetings and surveys with SENCo and SEND Leads have enabled the local authority to respond to the challenges identified by education providers in supporting, for example, CYP with challenging behaviours, or those with medical needs.

• Health-related information is required to provide a holistic overview of support provided to CYP with SEND. Information must identify gaps in provision.
• Demand outstrips capacity. Despite capital investment to increase the number of Special School places within Lincolnshire, capacity remains an issue.
• There are continually increasing numbers of CYP with EHC Plans. This is having a major impact on provision of services (staff and resources) and impacts the High Needs Budget.
• Lack of diagnostic pathways for some neurodevelopmental conditions e.g. Tourette’s.
• Limited Speech and Language Therapy services to support the growing SEND population with SLCN identified as a primary need, particularly early intervention services.
• Demand for sensory OT assessment and intervention is high from the SEND population due to growing neurodiverse needs. No commissioned service currently.

A multi-agency Data Group has been established to focus on all measures that capture provision, across the full range of services that support CYP with SEND. This will compound existing data, identify gaps, and inform future commissioning activities.

An extensive programme continues to support ongoing developments to effectively meet the additional needs of children and young people.  As set out in Lincolnshire’s Inclusion Strategy, this includes developments to support mainstream settings in meeting the needs of pupils through robust and meaningful early intervention. This is intended to reduce a reliance on specialist provision and includes:

• Further development of the Workforce Development Strategy and the Workforce Development Platform.
• Embedding the work within the Better Belonging: SEND and Alterative Provision Sufficiency strategy.
• Introduction and embedding the newly established Quality and Effectiveness team to support inclusive practices across mainstream schools.
• Work progressing on developing a future neurodiversity pathway.

Collaborative work is underway to provide a response to families and settings where children require support with Sensory Processing Difficulties.